William j



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets -Sheet 1.

W. J. LANE. HORSE RAKE.

No. 244,263. Patented July 12,1881.

N. PETERS Pholo-Lilhographur, Washinglnll. D.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM J. LANE, OF MILLBROOK, NEW YORK.

. HORSE-RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,263, dated July 12,1881.

Application filed December 14, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. LANE, of Millbrook, in the countyofDutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Horse Hay-Rakes and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section in the linea: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view, showing one side of rake. Fig. 4 isa view in perspective, showing one end of the rake-head. Fig. 5 is aside view, partly in section, showing the lever-bracket and partsconnected.

My invention relates to improvements in horse hay-rakes of the classknown as selfdischarging and the objects of my improvements are in ahay-rake with frictional discharging mechanism, to afford means wherebythe lifting power of the hand does not in any way affect the freemovement of the lever for applying or releasing the friction, and inwhich the force of the lever in tightening the band is applied directlyto and between the ends of said band without the intervention of otherparts of the rake; also, to provide more simple, inexpensive, andefficient devices for engaging and disengaging thefrictional clutches toprovide an improved releasing device, and to afford facilities for thebetter adjustment of the height of the teeth from the ground.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the head, which is made ofwood, and to which teeth a are secured in a well-known manner.

I; are the shafts, to which the head is hinged at O O are wheels havingenlarged hubs 0, about which the bands 11 d are placed and held inposition by means of the brackets e 0 attached to the head A.

Upon the free ends of the bands at d, behind the brackets e e, areformed loops or bearings ff, to which are pivoted the S-shaped ends ofthe levers D D, the other end of each-lever extending downward andbackward, and said ends are connected .with each other by means of rodsE E and chain F.

(No model.)

To the lower side of the head the pulleys g g are attached, and in suchposition that their axes are at right angles with the chain Gwhen thehead A isin a position halfway between that assumed in raking and thattaken when discharging. The chain G has at one end a loop, m, formed,through which the chain F may. run. The other end of said chain isconnected with the discharge-lever H, and may be hooked up longer orshorter, at will. The discharge-lever His fulcrumed upon the shafts B ath, and extends below the fulcrum, where a portion, 1', projects at rightangles and in such position as to be struck by the end of the foot-leverI when the rake is discharged. The foot-lever I is pivoted to a bracket,J, which has its lower portion serrated or ribbed, and has a slot, k,lengthwise, through which a bolt extends to secure it to the shafts B.This bracket J rests upon another casting, l, which is firmly secured tothe shafts B, and has its upper surface formed to engage with theserrations in the lower surface of J.

K is a pressure-bar for holding the teeth down to their work.

L is a clearer, of ordinary construction, for removing the hay from theteeth when the load is discharged.

The operation when the rake is moving forward is as follows: Theoperator presses his foot upon the discharge-lever H, and therebycauses, through the medium of the chaiaGr,

loop m, chain F, rods E E, and levers D D, the bands d d to lock thehead A and rake-wheels together, whereby the teeth are elevated. Shouldthe operator keep his foot upon the discharge-lever H the lower end ofthe footlever I strikes thelower end, i, of the discharge-- lever H andpresses back the foot of the operator, maintaining suficient frictionupon the hubs c to keep the teeth raised so long as the operator keepshis foot upon the dischargelever. The teeth drop when the friction isreleased by the removal of the foot of the operator.

In some previous forms of construction the lifting-strain of the bandswas conveyed to the teeth through the medium of the devices whichtightened the bands, the effect of which was to prevent, to a certainextent, a prompt re lease of the friction. In other forms ofconstruction one end of the band has been secured to the head, and theother end has been connected with a lever pivoted elsewhere than uponthe first end of the band, the result of which has been a lack of thatfirmness, stability, and endurance necessary. The loop at allows thechain F to adjust itself so as to produce an equal strain upon each ofthe levers D D, and thus forms an exceedingly simple equalizer.

The pulleys g 9 should be placed with their rear portions nearly in linewith the hinges b b, in order that the discharge-lever H may remainnearly stationary while the rake discharges.

It has been common heretofore to change the set or height of the teethwhen raking by changing the effective length of the lever-eonnection 0,by inserting a bolt in holes made for the purpose through it. My methodof changing the set by moving the lever-bracket J admits of a much fineradjustment, and it can be done quickly, as one revolution of thethumbbination with the hubs c 0, and mechanism which will, when broughtinto use, cause the levers D D to tighten the bands d at about the hubs0 0, substantially as set forth.

2. The pulleys g g, when applied to the head in the manner specified, incombination with the chain F, for conveying power from the foot of theoperator to the levers D D, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The combination of the directing-lever H, the chain Gr, attached onone side of the fulcrum thereof, and connected with the dischargemechanism, and the foot-lever I, adapted to come into contact with thebent end '5 when the rake-head is raised, all substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of the foot-lever I, ad

.justable bracket J, upon which said lever is fulcrumed, rake-head A,and connecting-rod 0, for the purpose of adjusting and limiting thedownward movement of the rake-teeth, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. LANE. Vitnesses:

ENooH WILBER, PHILIP H. MERRITT.

